The People of the Eye: Deaf Ethnicity and Ancestry (Perspectives on Deafness)

282 Pages·2011·3.43 MB·English

by  Harlan Lane

"A valuable contribution to Deaf Studies and other fields, The People of the Eye
will certainly improve our understanding of humanity."
-Yerker Andersson, President Emeritus, World Federation of the Deaf

"A wonderful contribution that certainly makes a convincing case for Deaf
ethnicity."
-Dennis Cokely, Director, American Sign Language Program; Director, World
Languages Center, and Professor and Chair, Department of Languages,
Literatures and Cultures, Northeastern University

"Outright fascinating."
-Richard Eckert, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of
Wisconsin-Richland

"Elegant prose, meticulous research, and well-aimed quotes make a convincing
case for ethnicity. I especially enjoyed the spirited debate in the 'Yes, But'
section, which had me on the edge of my seat. The historical portrait of early
Deaf American life, which the authors painted so vividly, is sure to inform and
inspire many generations to come."
-Anna Mindess, Interpreter Educator, and author of Reading Between the Signs:
Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

"The genealogical work in this book is groundbreaking. It goes beyond elite-
driven histories and shows a dense web of interconnections among grassroots
Deaf people. This book fundamentally alters our understanding of the origins of
the American Deaf community."
-Joseph Murray, Assistant Professor, Department of Deaf Studies, Gallaudet
University
Series Editors
Marc Marschark
Patricia Elizabeth Spencer
A Lens on Deaf Identities
Irene W. Leigh
The World of Deaf Infants: A Longitudinal Study Kathryn P. Meadow-Orlans,
Patricia Elizabeth Spencer, and Lynn Sanford Koester Sign Language
Interpreting and Interpreter Education: Directions for Research and Practice
Edited by Marc Marschark, Rico Peterson, and Elizabeth A. Winston Advances
in the Sign Language Development of Deaf Children Edited by Brenda Schick,
Marc Marschark, and Patricia Elizabeth Spencer Advances in the Spoken
Language Development of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children Edited by
Patricia Elizabeth Spencer and Marc Marschark The Gestural Origin of
Language
David F. Armstrong and Sherman E. Wilcox Deaf Cognition: Foundations and
Outcomes Edited by Marc Marschark and Peter C. Hauser The People of the
Eye: Deaf Ethnicity and Ancestry Harlan Lane, Richard C. Pillard, and Ulf
Hedberg
Harlan Lane
Richard C. Pillard
Ulf Hedberg

On the nature of the Deaf:

"The deaf are ... first, last, and all the time the people of the eye."
-George Veditz (President, National Association of the Deaf, 1861-1937). Ninth
Convention of the National Association of the Deaf and Third World's Congress
of the Deaf, 1910. Philadelphia: Philocophus Press, 1912. p. 30.

On sign language and the Deaf:
"The topic that concerns you, gentlemen, rather than an ordinary medical issue
is, above all, a lofty question of humanity and civilization which requires deep
reflection, not only by doctors but by teachers, philosophers and scholars."
-Ferdinand Berthier (French Deaf leader and educator, 18031886). Observations
sur la mimique consideree dons ses rapports avec 1'enseignement des sourds-
muets. A M. le President et a Messieurs les Membres de I'Academie Imperiale
de Medecine. Paris: Martinet, 1853. (transl. H. Lane)
List of Illustrations xiii Acknowledgments xv Introduction xvii